Narrative:The Antonov 10 was operating on a flight from Moscow to Kharkov. The airplane had started its descent from cruising altitude and the crew had been cleared for a descent to 5000 feet. During the descent a structural failure caused both wings to separate from the fuselage, causing the fuselage to crash into a wooded area. Weather was fine with a 5000-7000 feet cloud base and a visibility of about 5 miles. Wind was calm. The aircraft had logged 15483 flying hours and 11105 cycles. Aeroflot ceased Antonov 10 operations following this accident.

PROBABLE CAUSE: The center wing section failed due to a fatigue crack in the lower central wing panel.

This map shows the airport of departure and the intended destination of the flight. The line between the airports does not display the exact flight path. Distance from Moskva-Vnukovo Airport to Kharkov Airport as the crow flies is 629 km (393 miles).

This information is not presented as the Flight Safety Foundation or the Aviation Safety Networkĺs opinion as to the cause of the accident. It is preliminary and is based on the facts as they are known at this time.